Erling Haaland shrugged off injury concerns to bag a brace as Manchester City beat Young Boys 3-0 to secure their place in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.
Haaland’s first goal arrived in the first half from the penalty spot before his breathtaking second shortly after the halftime break.
City’s other goal was notched by Phil Foden during the opening half.
Man City asserted their dominance from kickoff, with their first scoring opportunity coming as early as the sixth minute when Rico Lewis came close, but Loris Benito managed to deny him on the line with the goalkeeper beaten.
Moments later, City came close again when Kyle Walker’s free-kick was palmed away by Young Boys’ goalkeeper, Anthony Racioppi.
City eventually broke the deadlock midway through the first half after Matheus Nunes was fouled in the area by Sandro Lauper. Haaland calmly dispatched the penalty, marking his 14th goal of the season.
In the closing moments of the first half, Foden dazzled with an individual effort, cutting in from the right wing and slotting the ball beyond Racioppi from a tight angle to double City’s lead.
Haaland then sealed the win for City with his second, an exquisite strike from outside the box.
Young Boys ended the match with 10 men, as Sandro Lauper received a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Nathan Ake. The midfielder was already on a yellow card before committing the foul.
City had several chances to widen the margin, but Kalvin Phillips, Mateo Kovacic, and Nunes failed to find the target with their attempts. Grealish and Jeremy Doku were also thwarted by Racioppi.
This victory means Man City become the fourth reigning champion to win their first four games in the following season after Bayern Munich (2013/14 and 2020/21) and Real Madrid (2014/15).
The win also marks Pep Guardiola’s side’s 11th consecutive campaign in the UCL knockout stages.
